Reuters reports that the video
game market has matured to the point that many of the top titles
being launched are now
aimed at adults. One of the most popular genres in the gaming
market are shooters and most of these games are now targeted at
players 18 and up.

Shooters generate huge amounts of money for
developers and one of the strongest selling shooters in years has
been Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game racked up $310
million in sales in the first 24 hours it was out, has gone on to
sell over $1 billion globally and is still selling well.

Sony
is set to enter into the shooter market with a new game called MAG
(Massive Action Game). The title is targeting the average gamer, said
to be a 34-year-old male. MAG pits up to 256 players in one
combat environment and uses a global oil crisis as the catalyst for
war in real world locations.

Zipper Interactive -- developer
of MAG -- president Brian Soderburg said, "I think what
we have done differently ... is that we've created real cause and
effect within the many different objectives and sub-objectives that
have to be done to win the war, just like a real battlefield."

The
game targets the core audience of gamers, 13 to 34 year old males.
However, demographics are changing according to game developers and
more and more women and players over the age of 34 are starting to
play games.

Michael Cai from research firm Interpret said,
"The core audience of shooter games remains 13 to 34 year old
males, who make up more than 60 percent of the total audience, but
the genre has broadened its appeal in recent years with popular
titles such as "Call of Duty" and "Halo." Older
males and even female gamers have latched on to the genre. A big part
of the growing popularity of shooter games can be attributed to
online multiplayer functionalities."